Posts Tagged ‘Children on the autism spectrum’

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is an umbrella term used to describe a range of developmental disorders such as autism, atypical autism, high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

Generally a child with autism will have social skills deficits in social interaction skills, communication skills and imagination skills. Some children on the autism spectrum may also have difficulties with sensory processing issues, for example – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Difficulties in these areas mean that a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) will probably have difficulties understanding and following instructions.

A child with autism may understand simple commands but may have difficulties with long or complicated instructions.

For many children on the autism spectrum shifting their attention from one activity to another can be difficult and cause anxieties, generally an autistic child will need time to process given instructions.

For parents and teachers this can be frustrating, however repeating the instruction is not going to help, this will just add to the child’s anxieties, the more you talk the more pressure the autistic child is going to feel under and the more confused they will become.

All autistic children will struggle to understand spoken or written instruction this is mainly due to their social skills deficits which as we learnt earlier are common to autism. Communication difficulties are probably one of the major struggles parents face with their child.

For children with autism communication difficulties are common, a child on the spectrum may fail to recognise nonverbal communication such as facial expression or body language and may not recognise nonverbal communication such as gesturing or pointing etc.

However there are strategies that help autistic children learn appropriate social interaction, communication and imagination skills.

For example PECS, flash cards and social skills stories are all strategies that help autistic children learn vital every day and less common social interaction skills, address communication difficulties and help develop imagination skills.

The purpose or goal of a social story is to provide the child with autism with a prompt for socially appropriate behaviour, help them become familiar with a situation, and to respond appropriately.

The social story is also used as a transition tool, helping the child with autism move on, help prepare them for a new experience, change to routine and prevent negative or inappropriate reactions that stem from a lack of social understanding.

A social story is a short story that has been written in a specific style and format. That uses visual images much like a comic script that gives the child with autism information through pictures and text providing clear, concise and accurate information about what is happening.

The social skills story answers the “wh” questions ~ who, what, why, where and when as well as giving an insight into the emotions, thoughts and feelings of others and giving appropriate responses to social skills and situations the child with autism may otherwise be struggling with or may find confusing.

To obtain social skills stories that are used as strategies that help autistic children learn appropriate social interaction, communication and imagination skills visit http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Generally most children on the autism spectrum will appear aloof even rude at times, free of pretences, oblivious to public opinion and not concerned with making a good impression. Children on the spectrum are honest, if you do not want a straight forward answer don’t ask, they will not pretend and will not care if they hurt your feelings by being honest.

For children with autism a lack of social skills can lead in many cases to bullying, isolation and ridicule. A child on the spectrum will not worry about how others perceive them or whether they are considered cool or not by their peers.

A lack of social perception in autism can be helped by using supports designed to teach children on the spectrum why we need social skills, what they are and how to conduct themselves.

Most children with ASD are visual thinkers and learners and will respond better to visual information, such as visual autistic supports. There are many visual autistic supports available to use, but probably the most effective visual support for children on the spectrum is social stories.

Social perception in autism is a problem. Social skills stories tackle the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as give an insight into the thoughts, emotions and feelings of others.

For example: You’re at a friend’s house, your friend’s son is playing nicely with his toy, but your son wants that toy. You have tried to tell him to wait, you turn your back and there is a yell! Your friend’s son is crying nursing a bitten arm, while your son is happily playing with the toy. Your son has not waited to share or asked nicely, his social awareness skills are missing, he wanted the toy therefore he took the toy.

What do you do? Stay in the home and never go out? NO of cause not, you teach your child on the spectrum appropriate social skills. Easier said than done? MAYBE…But introducing visual autistic supports such as social skills stories can really make a difference.

A social skills story is aimed specifically at children on the spectrum, written by experts, needs no formal training to use, can be printed out for ease of use and convenience, will slip into your bag to take with you while out. A social story can be edited and personalized to suit your child’s ability and language recognition.

Social skills stories are normally visually rich using visual imaged to show your child with first person text how and why we do what we do or why we use certain behaviours.

Social skills stories are used widely by parents, teachers, care givers and other professionals to teach a child on the spectrum appropriate social skills, they are also used to aid communication difficulties and to reduce negative behaviours such as biting, stimming, asking inappropriate questions and so on.

Social skills stories can also be used to help prepare for changes to routines, unexpected events or happenings, hygiene issues, in fact almost all social, communication and imagination issues can be dealt with by using social stories as a strategy.

Research shows that social skills guidance and teaching is beneficial to those on the autism spectrum.

Social skills impairments are common in children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and are considered to be the chief reason children with ASD struggle social skills and behaviours, for example: making friends, sharing, recess and so on.

Children with social skills impairments will have differing abilities. Here are some of the social skills impairments your child may display

Deficits in communication skills – Children with autism can struggle with non-verbal communication as well as the use of language.

Deficits in social skills – Children with autism can struggle with social skills and may not understand facial expression or be able to read body language, which can lead to social misunderstandings. They also struggle to understand imaginative play, often preferring to play alone.

Deficits in imagination skills – Children with autism struggle with imagination and tend to be very literal, typically saying as they see it which can often offend.

There is no cure for autism, but there are treatments for autism which can help children on the spectrum learn social skills. These treatments for autism include: PECS, visual support cards, flash cards and social skills stories.

Possibly the most widely used of these treatments for autism is social skills stories. Social stories help the child on the spectrum recognise and understand what is expected of them and what they can expect of others in a situation.

Social skills stories for autism spectrum disorder follow a set formula of different sentence type, are normally written in first person text and will be from the point of view of the child on the spectrum.

Answering the ever important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW”

Social skills stories also give children on the autism spectrum scale an insight into the thoughts feelings and emotions of others.

Through visual images and text break the skill or behaviour down into smaller easier to understand sections. A social skills story can help guide the child’s responses and actions, thus reducing misunderstandings, stress and confusion.

Generally social skills stories for autism spectrum disorder can be implemented fairly effortlessly, and are normally editable and printable for convenience. No formal training is needed to use social skills stories.

For more information on Autism Spectrum Disorder Social Skills Guidance
and downloads of social skills stories for autism spectrum disorder social skills training visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

What do I do after my child receives a diagnosis of autism? Autism Spectrum Disorder is possibly one of the most frequently diagnosed developmental disorders. There is still as yet no cure for autism and research into its cause continues.

So what do I do after my child receives a diagnosis of autism?

Receiving a diagnosis of autism for your child is not easy. Typically a child with autism will have what is known as the “triad of autistic impairments” these are impairments in social, communication, imagination and interaction skills.

So what does the triad of autistic impairments mean to your child?

Children on the autism spectrum have problems socially interacting and will not normally develop socially in the same way as a “typically developing” child. The child with autism will almost certainly lack the ability to distinguish and read body language and facial expression.

This is often referred to as “mind blindness” or the “theory of mind”. Normally developing children learn how to distinguish the thoughts and feelings of other people as they grow by people watching they begin to distinguish certain expressions, postures and mannerisms this ability is somewhat diminished or completely missing in children on the autism spectrum.

Typically children are by nature very curious and will want to please, copy, mimic and learn social behaviours. The child with autism will probably lack this normal instinct and will need direct instruction for social and communication skills.

Probably one of the most important issues parents have difficulties with after a diagnosis of autism is their fear that their child will not be acknowledged socially and will struggle to make friends.

There is however treatments and therapies available to parents, guardians, teachers and so on, which can be found on the internet such as social skills stories for autism.

Social skills stories for autism are designed to help children with autism gain knowledge of and remember social and communication skills from basic every day life skills such as washing, brushing teeth and using the toilet to more complex skills like accepting a new baby into the family, making friends, buying new shoes, even attending the hospital or dentist.

The use of autism social stories on a regular basis to teach and re-enforce appropriate social skills and behaviours to children on the autism spectrum has been proven to work.

Written by experts, teachers and parents using appropriate language the social skills story will help explain the why, what, where and when and how to the child with autism.

To find out more about social skills stories for autism like autism and making friends visit www.autismsocialstories.com where you can download various social skills stories for autism

We use social skills everyday of our lives, at home, school, college, work and while out and about.

What is meant by social skills? Social skills are needed when we communicate with other people, have a conversation, interact, make friends, play, deal with conflict and read the body language and facial expressions the emotions of those around us, its knowing how to act and react.

The development social skills in typically developing youngsters happens naturally without a lot of direct instruction, they watch and learn social and communication skills.

In children on the autism spectrum social skills are not naturally learnt, they need to be taught and social skills stories are the perfect tool to teach them with. So what are social skills stories? and how can Teaching children with autism using autism social skills stories benefit the child? Having impairments in social skills is a common symptom of autism spectrum. Having deficits in communication skills both verbal and non-verbal is also a common symptom of autism spectrum.

For children on the autism spectrum lacking social skills can hinder their social development, parents generally struggle to find explanations of social situations that their child will understand.

Research shows us that the majority of children with an ASD are visual thinkers and learners which means that they tend to think in pictures, consequently, using visual supports for autism is always going to be beneficial.

Teaching children with autism using autism social skills stories is therefore a positive PLUS they are very easy to use.

Using visual supports for autism such as autism social skills stories, PECS communication systems, visual support cards and so on can really help the child with an ASD understand behaviours and social skills they would otherwise struggle to mater and or understand.

For example a simple skill such as washing your hands can for many children with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), be complicated or difficult to understand, and even if the child can wash their hands washing their hands may need to be re-taught in a different setting like say at school.

Many children with an autistic spectrum disorder struggle to master social skills in different contexts. Many children with an ASD learn skills but then have difficulty replicating them in another environment.

Consequently, visual supports for autism need to be flexible, editable and portable. Autism social skills stories tick all of these boxes, they can be personalized, edited, printed are convenient and portable making them the ideal autism tool for the job.

Parents use autism social skills stories as an autism tool to teach social and communication skills as well as address sensory processing issues and to teach appropriate behaviours. They can be used at home, school, college and while out and about.

A social skills story acts like a role model or visual framework showing the autistic child exactly what to expect as well as what is expected of them. The social skills story answers the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as How and provides an insight into non-verbal communication. Thus a skill such as washing your hands can be taught anywhere any time by simply applying the social skills story to each individual situation.

Teaching children with autism using autism social skills stories is beneficial. Social stories follow specific sentence patterns, are written in first person language, use visual images and are always from the point of view of the autistic child. They describe the skill or situation in relevant social cues in a manner the autistic child will understand.

To learn more about how social skills stories are written, implemented and used as well as get access to downloads of autism social skills stories visit any of the following sites:

Social interactions for a normally developing child come naturally. They can sustain conversation, have imagination and can interact effectively.

However for kids with autism spectrum the ability to make and keep friends does not come easy.

Children on the autism spectrum have impaired abilities with social and communication skills, making them easy targets for bullies. They lack the ability to understand non-verbal communications such as facial expressions and body language.

Children on the autism spectrum also have difficulties with language. They do not understand jokes, humour, wit, puns and sarcasm.

Their unusual use of language can also make them appear odd, for example children on the autism spectrum may refer to themselves by name; ”Barry wants a drink” rather than “can I have a drink”. This can make them appear weird to their peers leading to social difficulties.

Kids with autism spectrum especially asperger syndrome children do want to be social, but find difficulties with being a good friend.

Research shows that children with autism can learn social skills directly using autism social skills stories. Here is an example of using autism social skills stories to teach autism social skills…

Jacob is a year seven student on the autism spectrum having trouble with the transition from junior to senior school. Jacob is the only student on the autism spectrum from his junior school to move to his senior school and he knows no body.

An appropriate autism social skills story was put in place to help Jacob make friends. Jacob was able to understand what he needed to do to make and maintain friendships.

Result summary on Jacob showed a vast improvement in Jacob’s behaviour in school as his ability to sustain friendships grew with the use of autism social skills stories.

For social skills stories to help your autistic child learn vital social skills on topics like making friends, hygiene issues and other social skills your autistic or asperger syndrome child is struggling with visit:

Children on the autism spectrum can have behavioural difficulties regardless of their age and ability.

The autism spectrum is an umbrella for a range of autistic disorders from low functioning autism to High functioning autism and Asperger disorder.

Although combined by autistic mannerisms the abilities of each individual will vary depending on where a child falls on the autism spectrum.

Many of the symptoms associated with autistic spectrum disorder can lead to behavioural difficulties.

Typically Children on the autism spectrum will have difficulties socialising and communicating with others. For example typical autistic mannerisms can include: displaying symptoms of withdrawal, the use of odd or inappropriate language, have unusual preoccupations, use repetitive stereotypical movements, have unusual routines, habits and behaviours.

Research suggests parents, teachers and other professionals use social skills stories as a strategy to improve the social functioning and behaviour of children with autism.

Social stories are visual strategies that describe skills and situations in terms of social cues and appropriate responses.

Social skills stories can be individualized to suit the needs and abilities of the individual on the spectrum. The social skills story can be used to help children with autism learn appropriate social and communication skills.

The goal of the social skills story should be to help pave the way for a positive social interaction or behaviour.

These social stories are visual strategies written in first person language from the point of view of the individual on the autism spectrum and will help to solve autistic behaviour issues using social stories as a strategy as the answer.

What are supports for teaching social skills activities to children with autism ?

There are several methods through which we learn:

Through seeing (visually)

Hearing (auditory),

Touching or manipulating an object (kinesthetically or ‘hands-on’ learning).

An example of these would be, looking at a picture book or reading a textbook, this would be visual learning. Listening to a c.d., or going to a lecture this would be learning through hearing…and pressing buttons to determine how to operate a DVD involves learning kinesthetically, through touch and feel.

Mostly we learn through two or more of these learning skills. How we learn will determine how ell we do at school.

Most mainstream school adopt all of these learning methods, we visually learn through reading books and texts, we learn through listening to out teachers and we practice tasks to learn.

With children on the autism spectrum they will nearly always be visual learners. Some children on the autism spectrum will also be kinesthetic learners and may well benefit form their teacher or helper actually guiding their hand while they undertake tasks.

Therefore, it is important that a teacher assess each ASD child in the class to determine which kind of learning skill they prefer. The teacher can then adapt the teaching style to suit the ASD child’s need’s and build on their strengths.

However one very important thing to remember when assessing an ASD child is their need for repetition and sameness. Keeping this in mind when setting lessons will be of benefit.

A visual timetable should always be in place for the ASD student to refer too.

The supports for teaching social skills activities to children with autism are readily available nowadays and can be easy to use, supports such as autism social stories are used with tremendous effect.

The autism social skills story will help keep the ASD child on task, and work as an excellent tool in helping teachers explain the why, what, where, when and how to the ASD student.

Using autism social skills stories as supports for teaching social skills activities to children with autism will benefit the ASD student, they can be read, auditory, they have appropriate pictures and images plus some text, visual and they can be handles kinesthetic, or used as a visual aid with attachable pictures etc…

However you decide to use it an autism social skills story will prove to be a valuable asset to the supports for teaching social skills activities to children with autism that are already in place.

To obtain school related autism social skills stories that can be downloaded quickly and effortlessly and are all in printable format please visit:

We use social skills everyday of our lives, at home, school, college, work and while out and about.

What is meant by social skills? Social skills are needed when we communicate with other people, have a conversation, interact, make friends, play, deal with conflict and read the body language and facial expressions the emotions of those around us, its knowing how to act and react.

The development social skills in typically developing youngsters happens naturally without a lot of direct instruction, they watch and learn social and communication skills.

In children on the autism spectrum social skills are not naturally learnt, they need to be taught and social skills stories are the perfect tool to teach them with. So what are social skills stories? and how can teaching autistic children with social skills stories benefit the child? Having impairments in social skills is a common symptom of autism spectrum. Having deficits in communication skills both verbal and nonverbal is also a common symptom of autism spectrum.

For children on the autism spectrum lacking social skills can hinder their social development, parents generally struggle to find explanations of social situations that their child will understand.

Research shows us that the majority of children with an ASD are visual thinkers and learners which means that they tend to think in pictures, consequently, using visual supports for autism is always going to be beneficial.

Teaching autistic children with social skills stories is therefore a positive PLUS they are very easy to use.

Using visual supports for autism such as autism social skills stories, PECS communication systems, visual support cards and so on can really help the child with an ASD understand behaviours and social skills they would otherwise struggle to mater and or understand.

For example a simple skill such as washing your hands can for many children with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), be complicated or difficult to understand, and even if the child can wash their hands washing their hands may need to be re-taught in a different setting like say at school.

Many children with an autistic spectrum disorder struggle to master social skills in different contexts. Many children with an ASD learn skills but then have difficulty replicating them in another environment.

Consequently, visual supports for autism need to be flexible, editable and portable. Autism social skills stories tick all of these boxes, they can be personalized, edited, printed are convenient and portable making them the ideal autism tool for the job.

Parents use autism social skills stories as an autism tool to teach social and communication skills as well as address sensory processing issues and to teach appropriate behaviours. They can be used at home, school, college and while out and about.

A social skills story acts like a role model or visual framework showing the autistic child exactly what to expect as well as what is expected of them. The social skills story answers the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as How and provides an insight into nonverbal communication. Thus a skill such as washing your hands can be taught anywhere anytime by simply applying the social skills story to each individual situation.

Teaching autistic children with social skills stories is beneficial. Social stories follow specific sentence patterns, are written in first person language, use visual images and are always from the point of view of the autistic child. They describe the skill or situation in relevant social cues in a manner the autistic child will understand.

To learn more about how social skills stories are written, implemented and used as well as get access to downloads of autism social skills stories visit any of the following sites:

Children on the autism spectrum tend to be hypersensitive to stimuli like noise, light, touch, feel and smells.

All individuals on the autism spectrum disorders scale will have a triad of impairments:

Social deficits

Communication deficits

Imagination and interaction deficits.

Tips for working with children on the autism spectrum:

Organize the autistic child’s day into a set structure, children on the autism spectrum like routines and things to stay the same.

It is a good idea to remember to try and avoid routinechanges and is absolutely necessary give the autistic child support either with visual prompts or social skills stories for autism explaining the change, why it is happening and what they can expect to happen.

Use visual timetables, flash cards or emotion cards in the classroom as well as autism social skills stories.

Social skills stories for autism are used effectively both at school and in the home visual prompts can also be used both in thehome and at school.

Children on the autism spectrum when routines change can become aggressive, anxious, stressed and confused. It would be a good idea to have implemented social skills stories for autism before the change.

For example a temporary teacher; prior to the change an autism social skills story can be put in place to make the autistic child aware of the change and prepare them for the situation, this can help alleviate some of the anxiety and stress.

The autism social skills story is also an excellent autism resource for sudden changes like a teachers illness, unexpected visitors at home, a doctors appointment etc..

The social skillsstory will give clear focus on the key points giving the autistic individual clear precise instruction and information alleviating the anxiety they will be feeling. It will help to answer the important “wh” questions – what, where, why, when and HOW!

This autism resource can be implemented successfully in both school and at home giving an all round set structure and routine to the autistic individual’s day.

The autism social skills story is also used to teach vital social skills and re-enforce already learnt behaviours such as personal hygiene, shopping trips, hospital appointments, hair cuts and other issues such as bedtime, shared reading, death the list is endless.

For immediate help or advice on social skills stories for autism contact

Social Stories are a visual tool used to help teach social skills to children on the autism spectrum.

Autism social stories provide the individual with autism an explanation and visual framework of the skill or situation that they may find difficult or confusing.

Research shows that Autism social stories are an excellent visual tool which can be used to help reduce stress and inappropriate behaviours in some children with ASD. The social story also increases social understanding and has been reported as a good approach for helping children with ASD to reach their full potential.

The goal of a social skills story is to increase the child with autisms understanding of skills and social situations they are struggling to master and understand. By making the child with ASD more comfortable with and in the situation, and suggest possible responses they may receive from others.

Autism social skills stories follow specific sentence types: descriptive, perspective, directive and control. Introduced around twenty years ago as a means of communication, autism social stories have grown into a very popular visual strategy that can be used with all individuals on the spectrum regardless of age and ability.

Generally autism social skills stories are written by experts, teachers and parents to help teach social and communication skills to individuals on the spectrum. Autism social stories can be edited to suit all needs, personalized, printed and are portable making them convenient and easy to use.

A social skills story can be introduced to help deal with any situation or skill that the child on the spectrum needs help with. No formal training is needed to use autism social skills stories, site which offer support and expertly written social stories can be found using search engines such as Google.

Sites that offer social stories for children on the autism spectrum like http://www.autismsocialstories.com offer support and downloads of autism social skills stories for various situations and skills for a small fee.

A social skills story should be visual and use first person text, like a role model the social skills story will help with transitions, and changes to routines as well as teach and support social skills and communication difficulties.

For more information on this visual strategy visit any of the following sites and find social stories for children on the autism spectrum

Autism Spectrum Disorder is probably one of the most frequently diagnosed developmental disorders with 1 in every 150 children born receiving a diagnosis of autism. There is still as yet no cure for autism and research into its cause continues.

So what do I do after my child receives a diagnosis of autism?

Your child receiving a diagnosis of autism is probably going to be difficult to accept, the autism child will certainly have what is known as the “triad of autistic impairments” which are impairments in social, communication, imagination and interaction skills.

So what does the triad of autistic impairments mean to your child?

Typically children on the autism spectrum have problems socially interacting and will not normally develop socially in the same way as a “typically developing” child the child with autism will almost certainly lack the ability to distinguish and read body language and facial expression.

This is often referred to as “mind blindness” or the “theory of mind”. Normally developing children learn how to distinguish the thoughts and feelings of other people as they grow by people watching they begin to distinguish certain expressions, postures and mannerisms this ability is somewhat diminished or completely missing in children on the autism spectrum.

Normally developing children are by nature very curious and will want to please, copy, mimic and learn social behaviours. The child with autism lacks this normal instinct and will need direct instruction of social and communication skills.

Probably one of the most important issues parents have difficulties with after a diagnosis of autism is their fear that their child will not be acknowledged socially and will struggle to make friends.

There are however treatments and therapies available to parents, guardians, teachers etc. which can be found on the internet such as social skills stories for autism.

First developed almost twenty years ago social skills stories for autism are designed to help children with autism gain knowledge of and remember social and communication skills from basic every day life skills such as washing, brushing teeth and using the toilet to more complex skills like accepting a new baby into the family, making friends, buying new shoes, even attending the hospital or dentist.

As a general rule all parents, teachers, guardians, teachers and care givers use autism social stories on a regular basis to teach and re-enforce appropriate social skills and behaviours to children on the autism spectrum.

Written by experts, teachers and parents using appropriate language always from the child’s point of view, using first person text and visually rich social stories for autism explain the why, what, where and when and how to the autism child.

To find out more about social skills stories for autism like autism and making friends visit www.autismsocialstories.com and obtain info and downloads of various social skills stories for autism

Grandparents, parents and siblings look to the future with much excitement, when a new baby is born into a family unit, plans are made and everyone gets excited.

Most of the time grandparents can breathe a huge sigh of relief when their grandchild is developing normally. However what if that precious grandchild is on the autistic spectrum?

The conclusion of autism will undoubtedly be a shock to all family members; this can turn to sadness and grief. All these emotions are perfectly normal. A conclusion of autism is never easy children on the autism spectrum do not develop in the same way as typically growing children.

Your first step will naturally be of support for the parents, find out about autism. Find out what a conclusion of autism will mean for the family. There are plenty of sites on the internet and books in your library explaining what is autism

So let’s look at what is autism?

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder affecting the brain of the individual. The typical indications of autism are deficits in social, communication both verbal and non-verbal, interaction and imagination deficits. These indications of autism are sometimes referred to as the triad of autistic impairments or autistic social skills deficits.

When you scan and read articles you will often see the term triad of autistic impairments or autistic social skills deficits all children on the autism spectrum will have these indications of autism but the degree of deficit will vary between individuals.

What role do you take when your grandchild is on the autistic spectrum?

You will want to consider what affect the conclusion of autism has had on the rest of the family especially the parents of your autistic grandchild. The parents of your autistic grandchild must cope with autism on a daily bases, this is not going to be easy parenting a child with autism can be extremely stressful.

Grand parenting an autistic child maybe confusing and stressful, unlike your other typically developing grandchildren, a child with autism may dislike cuddles; avoid eye contact your autistic grandchild may not want to join in family occasions become distressed sometimes quite out of the blue.

However there are treatments and therapies available to help you as the grandparent of an autistic child cope with your autistic grandchild, for example autism social skills stories.

Autism social skills stories have a significant impact on the behavior and social skills learning of any autistic child. They were first developed by therapist Carol Gray almost twenty years ago to help parents, grandparents, families and educators of children on the autism spectrum teach and re-enforce good positive behaviors, social, plus communication both verbal and non-verbal skills.

Generally written by experts in autism they help guide and teach social skills and positive behaviors to the child with autism.

Children on the autism spectrum tend to be visual learners and will respond better to visual cues and prompts for behavior and skills to be taught effectively the autism social skills stories embrace this concept and are visually rich, with appropriate text in language the child with autism can relate too and understand.

Grandparents of children on the autism spectrum report significant benefits when using autism social skills stories for their grandchild with autism.

Finding appropriate autism social skills stories has been made a whole lot easier with the introduction of sites likewww.autismsocialstories.com

Which specialize in autism social skills stories and other resources for teenagers and children on the autism spectrum

Having a grandchild with autism can be rewarding, helping them develop vital social skills and live a fulfilling life is not going to be easy, but with the introduction of resources such as autism social skills stories this can be achieved.

To learn more about how autism social skills stories can help your grandchild with autism as well as getting immediate download of this essential resource in the treatment of autism visit any of the following sites:

For children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) lacking appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills is an issue. This absence of verbal and non-verbal communication skills is mostly due to social deficiencies, often described as social skills deficits, which are a common indicator of autism.

There is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, but there are remedies for autism which can help overcome the hurdles thrown up by an individual’s social deficiencies. Although communication concerns are a common indicator of autism, many parents struggle to find suitable methods that will help their child learn verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Social exchanges can be difficult for children with ASD. Lacking the appropriate skill to be able to read another persons facial expression or body language can be a huge hurdle and undoubtedly lead to social MISTAKES.

All children with autism spectrum disorder experience problems with the appropriate use of language. For example they may have problems with intonation, rhythm, and word and sentence meaning.

Sometimes kids with ASD may COPY certain things for example scripts from the T.V like commercials, or shows that are of interest to them, they may repeat a line from a book, radio show or song and continually want to repeat this phrase.

Other kids with ASD may have phrases that they use in situations, for example some children on the autism spectrum may introduce themselves at the beginning of conversations, or introduce their parent each day at the start and end of school.

Many parents, care givers and teachers look for ways to teach conversational skill tactics to children on the autism spectrum

Studies suggest using autism social stories to teach conversational skill tactics to children on the autism will help the child’s communication concerns.

Certainly your first step will be to consult a speech and language pathologist to have your child’s communication concerns evaluated.

Using autism social stories to teach conversational skill tactics to children on theautism spectrum can prove successful. Autism social stories are short EXPRESSIVE visual step by step plans that show in clear no frill detail the skill or behavior being grasped. So for example with communication concerns a parent may present a suitable social story showing the child with ASD how this can be realized helping to make them more relaxed with the skill or situation.

To learn more about autism social stories and how they can be used to help children with ASD learn social and communication skills and behaviors effectively. Plus get immediate downloads visit:

Autism social stories are normally short, descriptive, visual stories written to help children on the autism spectrum navigate specific situations or skills that they struggle with.

The idea of autism social skills stories is to provide the child on the autism spectrum with an opportunity to rehearse social interactions, for example asking questions, having a conversation and making friends – which will help reduce anxiety and confusion.

Looking at how will autism social stories benefit my child with autism

Research suggests that autism social skills stories which follow a set format can really make a difference to children on the autism spectrum, helping them cope with situations, social skills and behaviours that they do not understand or find stressful.

Developed almost twenty years ago to help with communication issues in autistic children, autism skills social stories have grown in popularity and use, today social stories are one of the major autism intervention strategies used to teach social and communication skills.

Parents and teachers need no formal training to use autism social stories, which can be implemented fairly easily.

Autism social stories can act like a role model or visual plan to the child on the autism spectrum. By breaking the skill or situation down into smaller sections, using first person text and visual images or pictures the social story describes the important “wh” questions– who, where, why, when and what as well as “how” and gives an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others.

Autistic children struggle to see things from another persons perspective, which can cause hurt feelings and misunderstandings, a social skills story can help the autistic child see the other side of things.

For example a lot of autistic children do not recognise the need to respect personal space this can be uncomfortable for other children, a social skills story can help explain the need for personal space and the consequence of not respecting another persons personal space i.e. the person may avoid contact etc.

Therefore looking at how will autism social stories benefit my child with autism is important with studies showing good results when social skills stories are implemented many parents USE these autism intervention strategies with positive effect.

All individuals with autism spectrum disorder will have social impairments or lack the theory of mind, which means they will lack the ability to “mind read”, understand body language and facial expression.As typically developing beings we take these skills for granted.

Generally social impairments become apparent early in childhood and continue through to adulthood.

For children on the autism spectrum having a distinct lack of social skills can mean social interactions are difficult. They will almost certainly be less likely to approach other children spontaneously, imitate and respond to emotions, and still not grasp the concept of turn taking.

Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for children with ASD social development is not learnt naturally.

Children on the autism spectrum like typically developing children do need friends…and as a parent or teacher of an autistic child there are ways in which you can help them understand the importance of social development and friendships.

Parents can help their child with autism learn skills such as making friends, sharing and taking turns etc. using autistic social stories.

Autism social stories are a strategy used to explain social and communication skills, by answering the important “wh” question who, where, why, when and what as well as giving an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others.

Autism social stories tend to be visual; this is because children with ASD are generally visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in pictures which makes autistic social stories an ideal strategy.

Helping autism social development using autistic social stories is beneficial. Autistic social stories are written in the first person, using appropriate language and images in a manner the child with autism can understand. Images are a powerful means of communication which are understood by all, this concept if followed with autistic social stories.

The social story is a visual plan or framework much like a comic strip conversation which can act as a role model for the child with autism, helping them understand the skill or behavior that they are struggling with.

Autism social development using autistic social stories will show your autistic child in a clear helpful manner how, why, where and when they should do something. They will give the appropriate responses the autistic child may expect and also the responses they themselves should expect from others.

Studies show children with ASD respond well to printable autism social stories, with marked improvements in social understanding and behaviors.

To obtain printable autism social stories which you can download and use visit

Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders yet still it is misunderstood.

There is no cure for autism, raising a child with autism spectrum is probably one of the toughest challenges a parent could face, the physical and emotional challenges faced can be overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the typical symptoms of autism can be severe in some children which undoubtedly will have an affect on the autistic child’s entire family.

Although there is nothing that can be done to reverse autism, there are strategies parents of children on the autism spectrum can use to help with the typical symptoms of autism.

Research has shown parents of children on the autism spectrum suffer more stress than parents of children with learningdisabilities.

Therefore finding the right resources for children on the autism spectrum is essential.

Which resources and children with autism are available and how can you access them quickly and easily?

Parents of children on the autism spectrum are using resources for children on the autism spectrum such as autistic social skills stories.

Studies into the use of resources and children with autism; show that there is a significant improvement in teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to children on the autism spectrum, once autistic social skills stories have been introduced.

Autistic social skills stories are used effectively for teaching autism social skills and behaviors to children on the autism spectrum; written by experts in autistic behaviors, autistic social skills stories can help an autistic child learn vital social skills and appropriate behaviors.

The social story is typically written in first person text and will normally have visual images/pictures which show the child with autism what is happening and why.

The social story aims to answer the ever important “wh” questions- who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and will offer the child with autism an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of considerable weakness in most children on the spectrum.

Consequently, parents of children on the autism spectrum are able to find better coping methods, which can in turn help alleviate some of the stress parents find themselves under.

Therefore, teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to children on the autism spectrum by using this valuable autism resource can be very beneficial.

The internet now makes finding this autism resource much easier and less time consuming.

To download autistic social skills stories that help parents of children on the autism spectrum find better coping methods, for behaviors such as screaming or even autistic stimming visit a good autism resource site such as:

In a study of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder it was found that this set of children were disadvantaged in the way they play.

Characteristically preschool children with autism spectrum disorder find it difficult to play as a normally developing child would. This lack of play skills can aggravate the child’s social isolation from their peers, and only underline their differences from other children.

So what is play?

Play should be fun and enjoyable.

Play should have no set goals imposed on it from outside influences; it should be imaginative and sometimes impulsive.

play should be spontaneous and voluntary

play should involve some kind of active involvement on the part of the player

play can be solitary or enjoyed with friends

The Development of play

Children’s play should go through a number of developmental stages

Sensory motor play, stimulation from objects, for example a baby gym.

exploratory and manipulative play, for example Lego

physical play including rough and tumble

social play, playing with their peers, playground play

pretend play or make believe

Why do children need to play?

Play allows our children to learn new skills and practice them in safe supportive surroundings.

Sensory motor play teaches babies and young infants about their own bodies and about objects in their immediate surroundings. The bright colored toys stimulate the babies mind and he/she will reach out to grab and explore the toy.

Manipulative and exploratory play teaches older infants about various objects, what they do; sound like, how they react together and how they influence the world they are living in.

Physical play, rough and tumble play, teaches toddlers and pre-school children some gross motor skills, which will provide them with the experiences of whole body interaction with others.

Social play is vast right from the mother and baby interactions to children’s make believe play, for example, playing mummy’s and daddy’s, which teaches children about social relationships in the world they live in.

Typically the autistic child on the other hand likes repetition and things to stay the same, and may display stereotypical, repetitive and stimming behaviors, mostly their play will be solitary.

Preferring their own company to that of others, an autistic child will find interactive, make believe play strange and may not understand the reasons for this kind of play.

So how do you help your Autistic child play?

One method it through direct teaching, typically children on the autism spectrum do not learn play skills naturally and like social and communication skills direct teaching is often needed.

One method of direct teaching for children on the autism spectrum is the use of social stories for autistic children.

Significantly social stories for autistic children can be implemented to help teach and re-enforce play skills and other skills the child with autism struggles with.

Social stories are short explanations using visual images, much like a comic script to detail the skill or situation from the child’s own point of view and in a manner that they will understand.

Social stories for autistic children follow set patterns, are generally easy to use and implement need no training to use and will be editable making them ideal for all.

Autism is a complex neurological disorder which affects more boys than girls. The characteristics of autism vary from person to person but the common characteristics of autism present in ALL autistic individuals are deficits in social awareness, communication and imagination skills as well as stereotypical and repetitive patterns of behaviour.

Just like a typically developing child the child with autism will want to have fun and “play” but unlike a typically developing child this is sometimes difficult, “play” does not come naturally to most autistic individuals.

Therefor when thinking about Amazing Craft Ideas for Your Child with Autism it is probably a good idea to think outside the box! No two children with autism are the same and what holds the attention of one child might not hold the attention of another as with any child.

Movement based activities can work quite well for children with autism for example – spinning, running, twirling and so on, kids with autism can be very sensitive to sensory stimulation. Try creating activities based around movement for example bouncing on a trampoline (inside and out). Or try swinging on a swing, in a hammock or try using a blanket to swing your ASD child.

Many kids with autism like to build things for example using Lego. Try engaging your ASD child in putting together a puzzle.

Typically children on the autism spectrum are visual thinkers and learners therefor they find visual activities, information and projects more interesting and generally greater successes are often achievable.

This applies to learning social awareness and communication skills also, a child with autism WILL better understand visual teaching methods and tools. For example an ASD child that is sensitive to sensory stimulation may find social stories useful when it comes to situations like hair washing, brushing their teeth, getting a haircut, visiting the dentist and so on…

There is also for immediate download 33 Amazing Craft Ideas for Your Child with Autism including:

There Candy Crafts

Dried Flowers

Making Gifts

How to make a scarecrow

How to make homemade ice cream

How to make homemade stickers

Making handmade paper

Making homemade potpurri

Making jewellery

Sea shell crafts

Trash Art

Ready for immediate download as well as other tools for autism such as social stories, visual social story cards, picture communication cards, now and next boards, visual schedules, behaviour charts and more…

Commonly children on the autism spectrum HAVE difficulties WITH AND IN social situations.

The social awareness skills we take for granted – the ability to “read” peoples body and facial expression ARE NOT skills that children on the autism spectrum learn naturally.

A lack of social awareness skills makes it difficult for these children to make and keep friends and can lead to social isolation.

However, using social stories to teach social skills to kids with ASD has proven effective. The social story is typically visual, and as we know the majority of children on the autism spectrum are indeed visual thinkers and learners.

Therefore this type of teaching aid is going to work and give better results.

The social skills story can be adapted to suit all ages and abilities and there is NO formal training needed to be able to use this autism resource.

Introducing social stories

Typically using social stories to teach social skills to kids with ASD is beneficial in all area of social awareness skills teaching for example: making friends, sharing, calming down, Visiting the Dentist and so on…

·The social story uses first person text and visual images to describe the skill or situation from the child’s own perspective

·The social story breaks the situation/skill down into smaller easier to understand sections

·The social skills story acts like a visual plan or framework

·The social skills story answers the “wh” questions – who, what. why, when and where

·The social story also explains “HOW”

·Social stories should aim to also give an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others

·Social stories should offer possible outcomes

For the vast majority of kids with autis, social awareness skills ARE very difficult to learn and direct teaching is generally needed, this is what the social skills story WILL DO!

Parents and teachers report success in teaching social awareness skills and a drop in communication difficulties once social skills stories have been introduced.